Care for some “awesome” news? Experiencing awe (seeing a beautiful sunset, hearing a glorious piece of music or witnessing the recent solar eclipse if you were lucky enough to be in the path of totality!) has positive effects on the body & mind and how we view the world around us. According to a recent study awe deactivates the default mode network, a region of the brain where we are always thinking–about ourselves, goals, schedules, to-do lists. During moments of awe that area quiets down, allowing us to feel calmer and connected to something larger than ourselves.
Awe helps slow the heart rate and respiration and even improves digestion because it has been shown to positively activate the vagus nerve, the large bundle of nerves that governs bodily functions. Research supports claims of the vagus nerve’s impact on our health, everything from improving mental well-being to increasing disease fighting anti-inflammatory responses, all positively impacted by experiences of awe and wonder. Simply awesome!
How can you experience more awe? Here’s a simple suggestion: go for a walk. But not just any old walk…take your fine self on an intentional “awe walk!”
Find Awe in Everyday Life
Spring is an “awesome” time of year to encourage feelings of child-like wonder. Birds are singing, buds are blooming, flowers are emerging. As you walk:
- Look and listen. What do you see? Pay attention to what’s blooming, budding, growing, greening. What do you hear? Peepers peeping, birds chirping, leaves rustling, breezes blowing.
- Welcome wonderment wherever you are. At a park, a beach, a nature trail or in your neighborhood. Intentionally notice the light, colors, patterns, shadows.
- Pay attention. What might you typically overlook or take for granted? The morning dew, a fellow walker’s smile, the shape of a leaf, a starry sky.
- Notice what’s within you. How does it make you feel to be awed? Calmer, fewer aches and pains, more mindful, connected?
- Get in an awesome habit. Find at least one thing that fills you with wonder each day. Write it down or share your experience with a friend.
I am awed by this tiny, persistent flower that managed to push through the unforgiving driveway stones…and equally struck by the vibrant purple among the gray.
